Three sharp-eyed teenagers are being hailed as heroes after they dialed 911 when a routine roadside stop suddenly seemed far more serious than it looked.
The Florida youths were eating inside a McDonald’s when they spotted 65-year-old Diego Fernandez-Delgado pulled over on South Flamingo Road in Cooper City after a tire blew out.
With his phone out of battery, Fernandez-Delgado stepped out to deal with the problem alone. That’s when Logan Royer, 16, Cody Magrone, 16, and Brody Murray, 17, walked over to see if they could help.
Noticing he was having a tough time working in the intense heat, the three offered a hand with the tire. But as they spoke with him, they realized something didn’t seem right.
As temperatures climbed to around 90F, the friends began to worry that Fernandez-Delgado might be suffering from a heat-related condition.
So they did exactly what you’d hope someone would do: they contacted emergency services with their location and described what they were seeing.
Then, they ‘followed instructions to keep Mr. Fernandez-Delgado safe and comfortable’.
“There’s an old guy on the side of the road. We helped him change a tire, and he does not feel good at all,” a recording of their call to dispatch reveals one of them saying.
Praising the teens for acting quickly, Breward County Sheriffs said the man ‘was too ill to speak on the phone” and was ‘feeling weak, having difficulty breathing and chest pains.’
According to People, bodycam footage from a deputy who arrived on scene showed the neatly dressed teens staying close by and watching over Fernandez-Delgado while waiting for paramedics.
Officials believe their awareness and rapid response may have stopped the situation from becoming fatal.
“First responders indicated that the students’ quick action likely saved his life,” the sheriffs said, revealing that they had spotted him in the early stages of a heart attack.
Thanks to their intervention, Fernandez-Delgago has since recovered from the ordeal and is now recuperating at homes.
Law enforcement weren’t the only ones expressing gratitude. Fernandez-Delgado’s son also spoke publicly, crediting the teenagers for stepping in when it mattered most.
“God didn’t send angels with wings,” Cristian Fernandez said. “He sent those boys.”
Breward County Sheriffs said: “Their actions serve as a powerful reminder. Sometimes, the difference between life and death starts with simply choosing to step in and help.”
While speaking on Good Morning America this week, the teens said it ‘didn’t cost anything to be a good person’, with Murray adding:
“I think what we did was very lucky. It was just the right place, right time, and maybe God put us there to help this guy out and in need.”